The Role

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

I thoroughly enjoyed my time working here from the people surrounding me to the work I was completing, every day was amazing. Everything about the experience has been invaluable and I wish it wasn't ending. Having the exposure to the operational side of the business has really been an eye-opener as to how complex distribution is. It was great to be respected as a fellow employee and treated equally.

9/10

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

I always felt valued and part of community feel here since day one. Everyone was always so welcoming from the start and I never felt out of place. My efforts never went unappreciated and it was always nice to be asked to do the extra things as it really made me feel part of the team. Coming in to a large business I was unsure as to how I would fit in but there was really nothing to worry about at all.

9/10

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

The support I received not only from my manager/s but from the staff on a whole was amazing. If I ever needed any help then I was never afraid to ask for support as I knew everyone would be willing to help no matter what it was. Not only from the site I worked on but from the wider business as a whole, people just want to help you and I was lucky enough to be able to help others too! Guidance was always provided if I was unsure at first and it was nice to be able to learn from this and complete tasks myself going forward.

10/10

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

I felt like my time here has absolutely flown by from the day I started to now, not one day has ever been dull. I always had tasks to be getting on with, sometimes quite tedious but nevertheless always had continuous projects to be completing. The tedious work required patience but the huge feeling of success once completed made it worth struggle. The workload was never too much too handle and never felt extreme pressure to complete a huge workload everything was very balanced.

8/10

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

As the time here at L'Oreal progressed so did the responsibility I was given. I was in charge of individual projects which I took main control over gaining feedback from management when necessary. Starting from projects which I heavily needed guidance for was challenging at first as I felt like I wasn't able to fulfil my job role at first. This was slightly overwhelming at first but allowed me to gain further experience and widen my knowledge as the project progressed. However, when leading my own projects I was able to take control and this is really where my responsibility started to increased and I took full ownership.

10/10

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

Improving my presentation skills and confidence within this placement will massively benefit me when it comes to my final year at university as presenting will be a huge part of my final year grade. Furthering my excel skills will also help me in future job prospects. Working independently managing my time will also help during a final busy year at University. Finally, being creative in this role has will allow me not to shy away from things outside of my comfort zone.

8/10

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

The atmosphere was very chilled out with everyone getting on with what they need to do. I worked in an office with many different departments working in the same place therefore there was always something different happening. Sometimes if a lot of people were working from home it could be very quiet but this rarely happened and when it did wasn't the end of the world. Everyone got along with each other which was nice and welcomed me with open arms when I first started.

9/10

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

The application process was extremely well set up, knowing every step of the way whether I was progressing or not right way through to job confirmation. What I would say was confusing was the fact I got told I was working at a different site but then was moved to where I am now. This made planning very difficult and could have lived closer to work if it was communicated better where I would be placed.

7/10

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

Being based away from the head office I thought that I wouldn't be able to take part in the training as much as other interns. However, I was given several opportunities to travel down to Hammersmith and partake in training there and sessions were set up so employees at the DC can attend in their own workplace. Personal development is definitely something they promote allowing the use of online e-learning and online courses.

9/10

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

Flexi Time

Staff Sales/Staff Shop

9/10

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

With there being many future employment prospects here they are very appealing as I feel like the business offers many opportunities to everyone in order to give everyone a chance at progression. I have applied to the talent track scheme which is the most appealing next step for myself. From this I would love the chance to work here again following the route of an entry level role.

8/10

Social

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

Working in the same city as my university allowed me to still go out and socialise with my current friends I have made whilst living at university. However, living at home for work which is around an hours drive away made it difficult to partake in some work nights out. There weren't many spontaneous nights as I was the only intern working at the site and a lot of employees have kids or in the same position as myself living so far away.

7/10

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

I lived and commuted from home whilst on placement which was both a good and a bad thing. The hour commute in the morning and evening wasn't very fun when there was a lot of traffic and there usually was a lot of traffic. However, saving money whilst living rent free was a huge bonus for me. Living at home made socialising quite difficult as it was hard to get to and from the city, but still made time to go to organised nights out particularly the Christmas party. Socialising in Manchester depends were you go it gets more expensive as you travel to the likes of Deansgate but there are many affordable places.

7/10

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

The nightlife in Manchester is great, I knew this from going to university here and continued to go out with friends who live here. In the area of the DC, it's in the middle of an industrial park therefore not many pubs or restaurants to nip out to on your lunch break.

8/10

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

I found the opportunities to get involved in mainly stemmed from Hammersmith head office as there was a lot more going on down there with the fellow apprentices and interns. I got various emails being on the intern distribution mailing list about different things to get involved in down there but unfortunately couldn't attend them. However, citizen days here in the DC allows everyone to take one day out of work to go volunteer at a charity or raise money. This was a good opportunity to gain exposure to local charities and do your bit to help.